Amazing Animals: Dog Quiz

We know that dogs are man's best friend -- they usually enjoy running,
fetching, gnawing on bones and showing complete loyalty to their owners.
But how much do you really know about how Fido works?

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Question 1 of 10

How long have dogs and humans shared a close relationship?

5,000 years

10,000 years

15,000 years

The relationship between people and dogs goes back at least 15,000 years, potentially making dogs the first animals to be domesticated.

Question 2 of 10

Which is not a sub-grouping of canids?

foxlike animals

wolflike animals

North American canids

From about 15 million years ago, we can subdivide Canidae into three subgroups: foxlike animals, wolflike animals and South American canids, which includes the maned wolf and the crab-eating fox.

Question 3 of 10

Which canid did domesticated dogs descend from?

jackals

wolves

Domesticated dogs descended from wolves.

coyotes

Question 4 of 10

Why should you carefully consider the breed of a dog before adopting it?

The breed might be a consistent winner at dog shows.

The needs of the breed might not match what you can provide.

Each year, thousands of dogs end up in animal shelters and rescue groups for doing what people have bred them to do. For example, dalmatians were bred to have incredible stamina so they could run alongside their coaches all day -- therefore these active dogs need lots of exercise.

The breed might be very expensive.

Question 5 of 10

What can dogs use to tell what time it is?

the position of the sun

their episodic memory

circadian oscillators

Dogs might use circadian oscillators -- daily fluctuations of hormones, body temperature and neural activity -- to know when food is likely to hit the bowl or when owners are likely to return from work.